Hamas Commits to Return Two More Hostage Bodies Following Deadly Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza

Israel conducted extensive airstrikes on Gaza throughout Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

The armed wing of Hamas announced plans to return the remains of two additional hostages on Thursday, fulfilling requirements under the US-negotiated Gaza ceasefire agreement.

To date, Hamas has returned the remains of 15 out of the 28 deceased hostages they committed to returning as part of the arrangement.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades stated on their Telegram channel that they "will hand over the bodies of two Israeli prisoners at 4:00 pm Gaza time (1400 GMT)".

Israel launched extensive strikes across Gaza overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday following an attack in southern Gaza that resulted in the death of an Israeli soldier.

Gaza's civil defence agency, which functions as a rescue organization under Hamas authority, reported that these strikes caused over 100 fatalities, including numerous children, marking the most severe bombing since the truce implementation on October 10.

By Wednesday morning, Israel announced it had begun "renewed enforcement of the ceasefire," with both US President Donald Trump and mediator Qatar expressing expectations that the agreement would remain intact.

Hamas has denied any involvement in "the shooting incident in Rafah" and reaffirmed its dedication to maintaining the truce.

The group also postponed returning what they claimed were the remains of a hostage, warning that any "escalation will hinder the search, excavation and recovery of the bodies".

Hamas provoked outrage in Israel on Monday after delivering only partial remains of a previously recovered captive, which Israel condemned as a violation of the truce terms.

Hamas had identified the remains as the 16th body they agreed to return, but Israeli forensic examination determined they were actually partial remains of a hostage whose body had already been returned to Israel approximately two years earlier, according to the prime minister's office.

Hamas captured 251 people during their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which precipitated the war in Gaza.

Following the implementation of this month's ceasefire, the group released the 20 surviving captives still in their custody and initiated the process of returning the 28 bodies of deceased hostages.

Israel accuses Hamas of failing to honor the agreement by delaying the return of remains, while the Palestinian group maintains that locating bodies buried in Gaza's devastated landscape requires time.